iPhone sensors

The versatility of the iPhone depends on a powerful array of built-in sensors

- Cliff Joseph

YOU WILL LEARN > About the many data-detecting sensors that are built into the iPhone

Many of the iPhone's sensors and functions relate to movement

Key fact > Strictly speaking, GPS is a communication system, rather than a 'sensor'. The iPhone has a GPS chip that receives location data from satellites orbiting the Earth and uses that data to calculate your position on the surface of the Earth. However, the GPS chip can work with other sensors, such as the iPhone's accelerometer, to precisely track your movements while travelling.

One of the great things about the iPhone and other modern smartphones is that they’re so versatile. They’re no longer limited to just making phone calls and sending text messages, and the iPhone in particular can perform a wide range of different tasks and a run a dazzling variety of apps that make it an essential part of our daily lives.

Many of us have no sense of direction and would – quite literally – be lost without the Maps app on our iPhone. Millions of people use their iPhone or Apple Watch to monitor their exercise routines in the Health app, and the Home app can track your location and automatically turn your smart lights on and off as you come and go during the day. Features such as these are made possible by the extensive array of sensors that Apple has built into the iPhone.

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